Stop motion for looms



May 15, 1956 c. RQEBUCK 2,745,441

STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS Filed April 27, 1950 FIG. I

TO OTHER SWITCH INVENTOR. 1 CLYDE ROEBUCK f BY ATTORNEY United StatesPatent O STOP MOTION FOR LOoMs Clyde Roebuck, College Park, Ga. Application April 27, 1950, Serial No. 158,432

6 Claims. (01. 139-341 My invention relates to an electro-mechanical stop motion for looms, and more particularly to electrO-mechanical mechanism in combination with a shuttlebox for determining whether Or not the shuttle is properly received therein.

In the prior art, shuttle boxes have been constructed with a least one hinged side or binder board arranged to squeeze the shuttle after the same has entered for a given portion of its length. This squeezing or braking action was produced by allowing the shuttle to strike a. mechanical trip or pin which, in turn, released certain lever mechanisms employing a compression spring to force the binder board against the side of the shuttle to stop it in the proper position and to hold it in such position for the picker stick to strike it and move it across the loom. The leverage mechanism also employed certain other levers acting as a mechanical safety latch whereby the motion of the loom was stopped should the shuttle not be properly positioned in the shuttle box. It is with this latter mechanism that my invention is chiefly concerned. As the shuttle entered the shuttle box, it pushed against the binder board to move it to Overcome the resistance of the mechanical safety latch. This slowed the shuttle down, and considerable time was lost in the shuttle box on both sides of the loom. Power was lost in the operation of the mechanism, and objectionable vibration was encountered in attempting to run the looms at fast speeds with such mechanism attached.

It is an object of the present invention to provide electro-mechanical mechanism in combination with the shuttle boxes of looms to permit operation thereof at higher speeds and with less vibration and less power than heretofore.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electromechanical mechanism in combination with the shuttle boxes of looms as an automatic stop for the loom movement should the shuttle fail to enter a shuttle box properly.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a safety leverage mechanism for aloom operated by a' single solenoid having control switches mounted in the opposed shuttle boxes of the loom and arranged to be actuated by the shuttle in passing in and out of the shuttle box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is easy to manufacture and maintained and which dispenses with many of the prior art levers, thus subjecting the device toless ,Wear and maladjustment.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be found during the course of the following detailed description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a shuttle box assembly showing a shuttle in the same and its position with respect to an electrical switch mounted on a side of the shuttle box.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of Fig. l, the shuttle and picker stick being removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of ice Fig. 1 showing part of the electlical wiring of the switch and solenoid.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 on a reduced :cale and showing mechanism on the opposite side of the In the drawing, numeral 10 designates the shuttle box generally, the mounting of which is presumed to'be understood by those skilled in the prior art. Also, in the present description, reference will be made to only a single shuttle box and its related parts; it being understood that similar mechanism, unless otherwise stated, will be employed on the opposite side of the loom.

Numeral 11 designates the shuttle which is shown'in Fig. 1 resting in the shuttle box 10, the forward end of the shuttle abutting thehead of the picker stick 12, the swell being shown at 12.

On one side of the shuttle box 10 is an electrical switch 13 which is a semblance of a switch manufactured by the Micro-Switch Corporation and which will be referred to throughout this description as a micro-switch. It is of the single-pole, single throw, pressure actuated'ty'pe with the contacts thereof being in the normally open position and is mounted on a prepared bracket 14 in a manner permitting its contact arm, comprising spring arm 15 and roller 16, to support its contact roller 16 through a hole 17 provided in the side of the shuttle box 10. The roller 16 is, of course, set to a given distance beyond the inner wall surface of the shuttle box to permit the switch to be actuated by the shuttle 11.

In Figs. 2 and 3, the solenoid and leverage mechanism actuated by the micro switch is shown. The solenoid 18 is mounted on the lay frame of the loom, as illustrated in Fig. 3, with the core 19 thereof being held normally upward by the weight of the leverage mechanism it is arranged to operate. The upper end of the core 19 is provided with a link pin 20 extended through a slot provided in the main actuating link 21 which is ofiset in the manner shown and extended through an elongated slot 22 provided in the lay frame and finally affixed to a cross rod 23 extended across the main or stationary frame of the loom.

The cross rod 23 is provided with a support 24 in which the rod is mounted for oscillatory movement andthe outer end is provided with a dagger or pawl 25. When in use as a safety catch the forward end of the pawl rests upon a hardened steel plate 26 provided on the sliding frog 27 on the main frame 28. The same shuttle box and switch arrangement andthe same pawl and plate arrangement will be found on the opposite side of the loom, as seen in Fig. 4, both pawls being actuated by the cross rod 23. The shuttle box, roller, hole, support and dagger or pawl are indicated by 10, 16', 17', 24' and 25', respectively, Fig. 4. Let us assume, now, that a construction made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is mounted on a loom. When the shuttleis thrown from one side of the loom, it enters the opposite shuttle box, and the tapered, leading end of the shuttle comes into contac with the contact arm of the micro-switch and moves the same to a position where the switch 13 is actuated. When the micro-switch is actuated it applies current to the solenoid 18, causing the movable core to be drawn inwardly, thus actuating the leverage mechanism to raise the pawl 25 to permit the necessary reciprocatory or rocking motion of the lay frame. The action is almost instantaneous, without any undue pressure being exerted upon the sides of the shuttle and without causing the wear as found in the former construction. The shuttle is permitted to enter freely With substantially no resistance whatsoever, and it passes substantially the entire length of the shuttle box at almost full speed, inasmuch as the binder board is free and does not resist the passage of 

